Erusar
Once a proud member of the mighty First Legion, Moritat-Prime Erusar was among the five hundred space marines that, alongside Luther the Arch-Betrayer, were sent back to Caliban during the Great Crusade. Despite his pleas to go with his gene-father and undertake suicidal missions that others were unwilling to complete, Erusar's superiors declared that the Lion had no use for "paltry assassins". Stricken with grief and with his head hung low, Erusar joined his brothers upon Caliban. He would go on to eagerly join them in Luther's rebellion against the Primarch, striking down a dozen of his former comrades before being sucked away into the Sea of Souls, and would not appear for another millennia. The people of Caliban and his fellow Fallen Angels dubbed Erusar the Reaper of Caliban for the role he played in stamping out the rebellions that rose up upon the homeworld of his gene-father. While many believe the title was given to Erusar because of the great many lives that ended upon the point of his blade, there is a far more disturbing truth. During his time in purging resistance upon Caliban, Erusar met his end after he was led into a trap laid out by the insurgents, where he was subsequently torn to pieces by the rain of heavy fire he sustained from all directions. Victory was short lived for the insurgents, as the bullet-riddled corpse of Erusar the Fallen Angel slowly rose back up from the pool of blood, his otherwise black power armor stained bright crimson with ichor. The rebels had mere seconds to scream before the Reaper tore them apart with his blade, and Erusar's fellow exiles were greeted with a terrible revelation; he was a Perpetual - an immortal. History Pre-Heresy Before the discovery of Lion El'Jonson, the Dark Angels were among the first of the Emperor's Twenty Space Marine Legions to be created, and so were originally under the command of the Emperor Himself. The Terran-born Erusar was one of these Space Marines, and he found himself fighting alongside his fellow Legionnaires near the end of the Wars to Unify Terra under the single rule of the Emperor of Mankind. Erusar longed to stay and fight under the command of the Master of Mankind, but it was not to be. As the Old Night came to a close, the Emperor mobilized the Space Marines Legions in preparation for the Great Crusade, which He claimed would unite the galaxy under his rule. As the I Legion purged star systems of the xenos menace alongside their fellow Legions, scouts brought word of the potential discovery of one of the Emperor's long-lost Primarchs. So it was, that these scouts had discovered the I Legion's gene-sire; Lion El'Jonson. Erusar, alongside the rest of his Legion, were overjoyed at that they could now fight with their Primarch upon the battlefield, and knelt down in front of their new commander. The Lion was given full command over the 4th Expeditionary Fleet, and they soon sett off to conquer new worlds in the name of the Emperor. All too quickly did the Fleet reach orbit over the world of Sarosh, which had formerly been under the command of the White Scars Legion. The Saroshi exclaimed that they too wished to become part of the Imperium, and the Imperials were more than eager to allow them to. However, they had been fooled. Upon boarding the Invincible Reason - flagship of the Dark Angels - the Lord High Exalter proclaimed that the Emperor was a lying daemon, a creature of falsehood sent by the dark powers to bring down humanity, to the Lion's face. With righteous fury did El'Jonson draw the Lion Sword ''and plunge it through the Exalter's gullet. But this was only the beginning, as the Expeditionary Fleet's Astropathic Choir became aware of a growing Warp Rift within the northern deserts. Spearheaded by the Legion's Librarians, the Dark Angels descended down to the Rift's location, prepared to detonate a modified cyclonic torpedo to disrupt the intense buildup of psychic energy. As they reached the location, the Dark Angels were suddenly befelled by unknown reptilian-ike creatures, catching the Space Marines by surprise. Erusar stood against two of these foul creatures and was able to slay them before he collapsed from the wounds they had dealt, though his brothers were astonished to find him stand back up onto his feet and continue to fight moments later. The Legion pressed on, intent on stopping whatever it was that the Saroshi had planned. The Lion's presence inspired his sons, and as they passed the millions of dead bodies that had been left in the the underground tunnels, the I Legion encountered a vile warp entity that had been summoned by the corrupt Saroshi. In no time at all, the Dark Angels slew every last cultist within the caverns and banished the daemonic creature they had summoend back into the Immaterium. This victory was short-lived for five hundred of the Lion's sons however, as their Primarch declared that the flow of new recruits from Caliban was shorter than he had anticipated. The Primarch claimed that seasoned warriors were to be sent back to Caliban to ensure that the recruitment efforts were put back on track; Erusar was one of warriors. With their heads hung ever low at the thought that they were rejected by their Primarch, Luther led his five hundred brothers back to Caliban. Horus Heresy and Betrayal As the Horus Heresy broke out across the galaxy, Erusar and the rest of his brothers stationed upon Caliban received word that the Warmaster Horus had turned against the Emperor and had declared all out war. They all heard stories of how Legions fought against Legions, spilling blood in the names of different leaders. Many of the five hundred wished to mobilize immediately so that they might join their Primarch, but they knew not which Legions to fight alongside, and which ones to fight against. Some spoke of the possibility that the Lion himself had turned against the Emperor, while others shot these claims down, stating he would never do such a thing. While his brothers bickered, Erusar kept to the shadows, and thought to himself that it mattered not what side the Lion had taken; for they were all exiles in his eyes. As the years continued to roll on, word spread of widespread rebellion throughout Caliban. Further investigation into the matter revealed that Caliban was now plagued with a resurgence of the beasts that once ran amok across the planet. This threat was further heightened by the insurgency raised against the Legion, led by former Knights of the Order who believed the Lion had betrayed them. To ensure that production of new recruits would not be staled, Luther and his lieutenants ordered a handful of capable warriors to stamp out what resistance they could. Erusar was among these warriors, and it is noted that dozens of insurgents fell to the blade of the now entitled "Reaper of Caliban". As Erusar and his brothers continued to stamp out insurgency, Luther declared that Caliban was independent to both Terra and their Primarch. Destruction of Caliban As the Horus Heresy drew to a close, the I Legion arrived to Terra too late. Horus had been slain, and the Emperor placed upon the Golden Throne in order to survive. Overcome with grief over his failure, Lion El'Jonson led his Legion back to Caliban so that he could contemplate what had transpired. Little did the I Legion know that the five hundred Legionnaires that had been exiled to Caliban had turned the entire planet against the rest of the Legion. Firing upon the fleet as they arrived, the Lion's enraged response to this front was ordering the fleet to bombard the plnaet from orbit, destroying it's defenses. The Primarch would then lead the assault upon The Order's fortress-monastery, where he confronted Luther in single combat. While this transpired, the Legion waged it's own civil war. The Reaper lurked in the shadows, before he suddenly appeared to strike down one of his brothers with his mighty sword. Dozens fell to Erusar as he gleefully tore through those who had exiled him to his gene-sire's homeworld. From Battle-Brother to Legion Champion, all who met him upon the fields of Caliban found themselves cut apart. Eventually, the Fallen Angel met one warrior who seemed to match his own prowess; Arteos Thore of the Lion Guard. Dressed in his full set of Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armour and equipped with his Relic Power Spear - ''Bonebreaker - the Primarch's Honour Guard did battle with the Fallen Moritat. As the two warriors fought, the surface of Caliban itself was destroyed as the Gods of Chaos furiously tore apart the world after Luther had failed to slay El'Jonson. Refusing to give their opponent a chance to escape, Arteos and Erusar continued to duel to the death. It was true that Arteos Thore was a veteran of many Campaigns and had seen his fair share of bloodshed at his Primarch's side, but Erusar was older, faster, and stronger than he. Indeed, the Terran-born Fallen Angel was more than a match for the Caliban-born Terminator, and in the end the Lion Guard found himself at the end of the Fallen's sword. As Erusar delivered the killing blow to Arteos, so did he kill the Gods' interest in his duel. The Lion Guard perished, and Erusar the Reaper of Caliban was flung into the Aether alongside the rest of his traitorous kin, a bright grin plastered upon his face. The Angels of Vengeance Erusar would not be seen for another several millennia after Caliban's destruction. Awakening upon the surface of Kerus Prime - an Imperial Mining World within the Segmentum Ultima - Erusar would go into hiding for many months until a terrible fate befell the world. Without warning did a band of Torture-class Cruisers appear, ready to lay waste to the settlers of Kerus Prime. As the Imperium responded to the threat by sending various regiments of Imperial Guard, Erusar waged his own war against the Sons and Daughters of Commorragh. Forced out of hiding, the people of Kerus Prime finally bore witness to the Fallen Angel that had lived among them for so long as he tore his way through the ancient xenos race. Those who fought against the Dark Eldar saw the mysterious Angel accomplish many spectacular feats upon the battlefield; from tearing the head of a Wrack from its shoulders, to slamming his heel down upon a Mandrake, it seemed as though nothing was capable of defeating the enigmatic warrior. They were soon proven wrong. While Erusar's presence upon the battlefield unwittingly inspired the Imperial forces, they were still suffering a tremendous amount of casualties. Eventually, word spread that the only hope for Kerus Prime was the mystifying warrior dressed in a regalia of black power armor. This caught the attention of a particular group of Space Marines, known to the galaxy as the Angels of Vengeance. The Chapter mobilized their First Company, led by Grand Master Urtael not to combat the xenos threat, but to see if this so called savior was actually a member of Luther's Fallen Angels. And so it was that the sky was blackened by the ebony drop pods that descended upon Kerus Prime, each filled with a squad of Deathwing Terminators who were ever prepared to capture their traitorous kin so that he may be interrogated by the Chapter's Chaplains. As the Deathwing mercilessly cut their way through the xenos in search of the Fallen Angel, two of their number soon came upon an area littered with Dark Eldar corpses. In the midst of the dead stood a lone warrior who bore the black armor of the Old Legion. Erusar's eyes fell upon the successors of his former Legion, and a broken smile crossed over his lips as he prepared his blade to kill his brothers once more. The Angels of Vengeance held no honor for this fight, for they could not risk the Fallen Angel's escape. And so, as Erusar drew his blade, the Deathwing Knights drew their own. Erusar taunted his Legion's successors, wondering if they could match the finesse of the Dark Angels of Old. They spoke no words of their own, and instead charged forth, ready to spill the Fallen Angel's blood. Erusar laughed as he and the Angels danced in a fury of blades, parrying and landing fiendish blows. In the end, the two Terminators were no match for a warrior as old as Erusar, and soon found themselves gasping for breath as the Fallen Angel cut open their throats or ran his blade through their lungs. The warriors staggered back, easily beaten by the Terran-born knight. Erusar scoffed at them, before he turned to leave - with not a single scratch cut into his warplate. It was only as the Deathwing Knights fall to their knees in defeat did one warrior emerge from behind them, dragging along the corpse of a Dark Eldar Grotesque behind him. The warrior dressed in a warplate as black as the Fallen Angel's, with robes of red draped over his scarred face and chestplate. Amidst the bloodshed, Grand Master Urtael of the Angels of Vengeance Deathwing Company faced one of the Unforgiven's many secret foes; Erusar the Reaper of Caliban. The Grand Master drew his Heavenfall Blade - Archangel's Scorn - and pointed it towards the Fallen Angel, ready to do battle. Amused, Erusar gripped his own weapon, and once again asked if he could match the finesse that the Dark Angels were known for during the Great Crusade. Urtael directed the Fallen's attention towards the xenos he had slain previously, and stated that his hearts would have been torn out by the beast otherwise. No more words were needed, and as Kerus Prime died around them, the two Space Marines fought viciously. Neither warrior was able to land a clean blow, as each of their attacks were blocked by the other. As the two parried, spat, and punched each other in hopes of coming out on top, the Imperium fought against the Necrons with equal amounts of fury. As they continued to duel, Grand Master Urtael hatched a plan to assure victory. The Angel of Vengeance held onto his blade with one hand, slowly making his way back to the corpse of the Grotesque he had slain hours ago. As the Grand Master stood over the dead xenos, he kicked up the weapon it had been using; a large, rustic cleaver. Thus Urtael pulled out an unexpected move and slammed the Necron weapon against Erusar before he had a chance to react, as he had just swung his own blade two-handedly. Dazed by the sudden attack, Erusar stumbled back before he was finally defeated as Urtael drove his Heavenfall Blade through the Fallen Angel's abdomen. Once he unsheathed his weapon from Fallen's body, Urtael brought the pommel of his weapon to his forehead and whispered a silent prayer to his Primarch for the successful capture of one of his Fallen Sons. Capture and Escape Captured by the Angels of Vengeance and thrown into a temporary holding cell until the Deathwing Company could rendezvous with the Supreme Grand Master of the Chapter so that he might oversee Erusar's interrogation and so that he might deliver the Emperor's Justice himself. Until then, Erusar was ordered to be thrown into a temporary holding cell so that he would cause no trouble. However, by the time the Deathwing were able to meet with the rest of the Chapter, they soon discovered that Erusar had vanished from the holding cell they had placed him in. A Company-wide search was put in order, and every nook and cranny of the First Company's battle barge was probed before the Company Veterans decreed that the Fallen Angel had somehow escaped. For many nights the Chapter's Inner Circle discussed just how the Fallen could have escaped, until they eventually came across a piece of evidence that greatly shamed the Grand Master of the Deathwing. Attendance reports taken from the Chapter's battle barge revealed that they were missing one Fire Raptor Gunship after returning from their campaign to Kerus Prime. The Chapter then came to the conclusion that Erusar had somehow freed himself from his temporary holding cell before somehow managing to hijack a Gunship and flee from his captors; something that many claim is an impossible feat. Notable Sightings Since then, there have been multiple sightings across the Segmentum Ultima of a mysterious figure dressed in a regalia of black warplate, fighting off forces of both Chaos and xenos alike. The Dark Angels and their successor Chapters have often mobilized to these locations, only to come out shorthanded. It should be noted however, that on very rare occasions Erusar does indeed face off against the Deathwing of the Angels of Vengeance, taunting them for their failure to capture him before mysteriously disappearing back into the void of space. A few, more notable sightings of the Reaper are listed below: *'War of Kerus Prime (Unknown date.M40)' - First encountered by those who waged war against the Necrons that had stayed dormant for millions of years, those few survivors of this terrible war recount tales of a warrior dressed in a full regalia of Black Power Armor, unstoppable in combat. Under the command of Grand Master Urtael, the Angels of Vengeance 1st Company was able to capture the Fallen Angel before he escaped their clutches afterwards. *'Red Nights of Cythraul (047.M41)' - Warriors of the Guardians of the Covenant caught whiff of messages that possibly linked to the sighting of another of the Fallen Angels. Sure enough, the people of Cythraul had recently called for aid as their planet fell into the interest of the Tau Empire. Shortly after the call was issued, a lone figure armored in black was seen fighting off the Tau forces, though said warrior refused to heed all communication that was sent his way. By the time the Guardians of the Covenant made planetfall, this mysterious warrior was no where in sight; hills of corpses were all that was left in the Reaper's wake. *'Second War of Saldysla (617.M41)' - Shortly after the First War of Saldysla which was spearheaded by the Fallen Angels Xoler and Asonan (who were captured by the Disciples of Caliban during the War's conclusion), Erusar appeared in a flurry of blades as he tore a hole through the Sons of the Lion that had captured his fellow Fallen. The Disciples' Company Champion confirmed his death, stating that Erusar had fallen at the end of his blade, but was not heard from since said vox-message. His brothers would soon discover the desecrated corpse of their Champion days afterwards, his weapons and armor looted off of his corpse. The Disciples of Caliban sent to find him returned to their fleet to report the Champion's death, only to find that they were all too busy searching for the captured Fallen Angels, who had somehow escaped. *'13th Black Crusade (999.M41)' - Alongside a large number of his Fallen brothers, Erusar appeared amongst the Forces of Chaos led by the Warmaster of Chaos during his 13th Black Crusade. The entirety of the Dark Angels Chapter joined the conflict after the Dark Oracle spoke of a great deal of Fallen amidst the Despoiler's forces. Members of both the Dark Angels 5th Company and Angels of Absolution Second Company speak of the Reaper's presence upon the battlefield; An unstoppable foe who never fell back, and who stood back to continue fighting even after sustaining fatal wounds. Personality Ever the cynic, Erusar's relations with the rest of his Legion were incredibly strained. Many believed that Erusar secretly held a death-wish for some past crime he had committed previously in his life; whether it be before or after his indoctrination into the Legion. He held no love for the shackles that were Legion organization - from chapters to battalions to companies, preferring to accomplish tasks with his own - often more dangerous - methods. While he did take up the unofficial mantle of Moritat - a position given to those astartes that disregarded combat doctrine and displayed suicidal tendencies - Erusar was more lionhearted than suicidal. He would often take up what others considered to be impossibilities as meager challenges, and indeed, he was able to accomplish the impossible. During his "sentence" to Caliban, Erusar's pride in his Legion slowly waned as the thought that he was no longer wanted by his gene-sire kept spinning in his mind. His pride became malice, and it was Erusar who often taught those young novices that came to him for guidance that they would not be accepted unless they submitted to the Primarch's beck and call, and that they should instead seek not to be accepted by their brothers, but live for themselves, as he now did. So it was that Erusar's love for the First Legion disappeared, instead replaced by a burning fire of antipathy. Abilities and Traits It has been said by many that Erusar was always able to achieve the impossible, and those who support this claim are not wrong in doing so. Indeed, where others might have failed Erusar always proved that he was indeed capable of much more than a great many number of his fellow Space Marines. Why this is so was a topic of great debate amongst the Reaper's few peers, as they wondered if his innate greatness was the cause of repressed psionic talents or simply due to rigorous training sessions. Regardless of why, it is no exaggeration to state that Erusar's combat prowess is exemplary. To add onto this, any soul who is strong enough to best Erusar in combat will most likely not live to tell the tale, as they will most certainly have to face the Fallen Angel in combat a second time. Due to his being a Perpetual, the Reaper of Caliban is by all respects immortal. Whether it be through reincarnation or rapid cell regeneration, Erusar's history for being able to achieve the impossible is more than likely thanks to the fact that he is unable to die through normal means. Relations The Fallen To Erusar, the other Fallen were the only ones within the Legion that understood him to some degree. While he was still an outcast, the Reaper knew that the other Fallen felt the same way he did; abandoned, exiled. They were all outcasts in their Father's eyes, and they would likely never see anything outside of Caliban again if they did not act. And so it was that they betrayed the Legion, following Luther into damnation, united against their Primarch. Lion El'Jonson The Reaper of Caliban holds a deep hatred for his gene-father ever since he ordered Erusar and five hundred of his brothers back to Caliban. In the eyes of all the Fallen, their sentence to Caliban was the Lion's attempt to be rid of them for good. Indeed, five decades past, yet Erusar and his brothers never received word from the Fleet or their Primarch on when they would return to the front lines. Now, each day Erusar prays to whichever Dark Gods he may worship that his Primach was slain during the Fall of Caliban. Equipment *'Ancient Artificer Armor' - Like a great number of his fellow Fallen Angels, Erusar wears an ancient regalia of green-black Power Armor which matches the livery of the Pre-Heresy Dark Angels. *''Reaper's Fury'' - A master-crafted Plasma Pistol bestowed upon Erusar by the I Legion's officers for the part he played in the Unification Wars several years prior. *''Reaper's Maleficence''- Looted off the corpse of a Company Champion from the Disciples of Caliban, this Blade of Caliban Power Sword has been used by Erusar ever since he lost his own Mk II Mars Pattern Power Sword after he was captured by the Angels of Vengeance. *''Veil of Darkness'' - Mounted upon Erusar's backpack is a halo-shaped ring that projects a Conversion Field to further shield the Fallen Angel from otherwise deadly projectiles. Quotes By About Feel free to add your own! Trivia *Thanks to Blue for the cool new alias! Category:Space Marine Characters Category:Solomus-BlackWing Category:Horus Heresy Category:Great Crusade